On The Scene
by MATT SUNSTON
Summary: Apollo meets Ema before a very personally-important investigation.
_Consider this a little follow-up to "Just a Talk"._

* * *

"Apollo, try not to look like you're going to cry, OK? Like Trucy said."

Athena's words didn't do much for Apollo's mood. He almost couldn't believe she was acting this calm. This was no time to be calm - _Trucy_ had been arrested. For a _murder!_ If she and Athena weren't going to freak out over this, Apollo was fine to do it for them.

There hadn't been much time to speak with Trucy at the detention centre. The police were in the middle of questioning her, and it had only been a personal favour that gave them their short time to see her in the visitor's centre.

Entering the parking lot of the theatre complex, Apollo immediately began to look around. There was someone in particular he wanted to see. Amongst the expected small army of police officers, he found his target.

"Hey, Ema!"

The young woman in question turned at the sound of her name. She smiled, waving to Apollo and Athena as they approached.

"You're here. Good. I've just finished up in there for now, so you've got some time to poke around before we take over again."

Ema Skye, a police homicide detective who now pulled double-duty managing the forensics unit overseeing her crime scenes as well, was easily at the top of the list for people Apollo was glad to have around on investigations. That list may have been a bit skewed, of course, given that he and the detective were also dating.

"Thanks, Ema." he said, returning the smile. This meeting was starting off a lot better than their last.

* * *

"There you are - Ema-!"

Apollo had been frantic, searching the crowd for Ema, who he'd seen entering with the remainder of the police on-site.

Trucy's performance had been going perfectly until her co-star suddenly dropped dead. From there, the theatre had descended into chaos as security brought everything to a stop and the police were contacted. Apollo hadn't even been able to get to Trucy before she was escorted offstage by the security staff.

Ema had attempted to calm him. "Apollo, before you freak out-"

"Too late for that..." Athena remarked as Apollo began to vent his panic.

"Ohh, no," he'd cut Ema off by saying, "What're you thinking!? You can't honestly think **_Trucy_** killed-"

Ema returned the favour, interrupting him for herself. "This is why I said 'before you freak out'. Trucy's not officially under suspicion yet. We need to bring her to the precinct for questioning before we get to that. We don't even know if the dead guy in there gives us a reason to look for suspects yet."

"If she's not under arrest," Apollo said slowly, clearly on the verge of losing it again, "Then _why_ do I see _**handcuffs?** "_

Ema just shrugged dismissively, which nearly set Apollo off again until she asked, "How else do you expect her to keep herself entertained on the drive over?"

Apollo just stood there, his face unreadable.

"C'mon, Apollo." Ema went on. "When was the last time you saw Trucy with a set of cuffs she _couldn't_ get out of?"

"… I-I've never seen that, actually." Apollo said a moment later.

"She actually asked for them personally." Ema added. "I think she wanted something to get her mind off the shock of what happened. She _is_ just a teenager, remember."

It was only at that point that Apollo's temper finally began to recede. Athena had asked Ema about the possibility of speaking to Trucy for a while as soon as possible, and Ema had helpfully arranged for a break in Trucy's questioning for them.

* * *

"Do you have anything new to tell us since we left?" Athena asked. "Trucy didn't know much about what could've happened when we asked her."

"I haven't got you an autopsy yet, if that's what you mean." Ema said, glancing aside. "We're getting there, but it'll take at least a couple more hours. I can call you when we've got it, if you want."

Apollo nodded vigorously. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now, in the meantime, like I said, we're done in there for now. You two can poke around, but remember: I'm trusting you not to mess anything up. Don't make me regret that, or **_you_** will."

"Understood!" Athena said brightly and with an energetic little salute. Without another word, she turned on her heel and set off for the theatre's front doors. Apollo lingered behind.

"Hey, Ema?"

"Yeah?" Ema asked, relaxing from her previous upright demeanour.

"I'm… sorry for flying off at you earlier."

Ema just waved a hand dismissively. "Don't sweat it, 'Pollo. It's Trucy we're talking about here, I understand. Just think about how Mr. Wright's gonna react when _he_ finds out."

"I'm not sure I want to." Apollo replied. He considered following Athena, who was already inside, but held off once more. "So... someone's taking their police work a bit more seriously now, huh?"

Ema smiled. "Glad you noticed. I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to take charge when the forensics guys come in. I don't want to sound like I'm trashing the whole department, but…"

"You're trashing the whole department." Apollo jibed. "What, you think I've forgotten all those times you ranted about them?"

Ema shrugged again. "Thought you might've tuned it out at some point. I could get pretty worked up sometimes, and when I bitch about something, I don't hold back."

"But that's no problem anymore, is it, Miss Forensic Investigator?"

Ema's smile widened to a bright grin. Apollo couldn't help but reflect the expression. He always thought Ema looked best when she smiled, and these days those smiles were much brighter than before.

"Not at all." she said cheerfully.

* * *

Apollo clearly remembered the day that Ema got her official results back on her second run of the police forensics entry exam. She'd promised to text him when she got her answer, but as the hour following the text telling him she was about to start the exam passed by, he didn't get anything from her.

At first, he'd guessed that the exam was just longer than he originally imagined. That guess began to fade, and was eventually replaced with worry. It was on his continued urgings that Ema had finally worked up the motivation to try the exam again and free herself from her position in the homicide unit, so once the thought that she might've failed again wormed its way into his head, Apollo didn't take long to become properly worried.

He'd tried to focus on his paperwork at the Wright Anything Agency to keep his mind off those worries, but the thought of how Ema's dejected expression would look kept flashing back into his mind. He'd tossed around ideas for what he might say to try and keep her from beating herself up too badly, and was almost to the point of just texting her himself when there came a knock on the office door. Still hoping for something to distract him, he'd answered it.

He could remember precisely the flurry of confusion that had followed as he was greeted by Ema throwing herself through the doorway and against him, causing him to stagger back as the detective planted a series of kisses all over his face, which took no time at all in heating up and flaring a dark red.

The one thing he couldn't remember was whatever his co-workers had said as they watched the scene unfold. Something teasing, obviously, but he'd been a bit too caught in the moment to hear any of it.

That was the happiest he'd ever seen Ema. She told him about her own anxieties in regards to the exam, and how she'd repeated his words of encouragement to her to keep a level head, waiting for him to eventually ask how the results had come out.

Perfect. Ema had passed with flying colours, and she was officially on her way to a new position at the precinct.

* * *

"Before I go in," Apollo said, snapping out of his thoughts, "Please tell me you haven't found anything to put Trucy under suspicion."

"Nothing conclusive yet, since you're worried." Ema replied. "I don't want to promise anything yet, though."

Apollo nodded. "Thanks, Ema. I should catch up with Athena."

"See you later." Ema said, giving him a gentle clap on the shoulder. "And here's some advice: try taking a breath once in a while, OK? You look like you're about to fall over."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."

He started for the entrance, wondering how far ahead Athena might be already. Just before he reached the front stairs, he hesitated. Turning back toward Ema once more, he gestured for her notice, saying, "One more thing." She glanced up curiously.

"Love you." Apollo said with a smile. He enjoyed the momentary sight of Ema blushing for once before making his way into the theatre.

* * *

 _Ema, Ema, Ema. Have you seen how happy our girl looks now that she's in forensics? I just had to pound out this idea since yesterday._


End file.
